Improvement in lamps



UNITED STATES Prettig;` OFFICE.

` BENNETT B. SCHNEIDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 102,163, dated April 19, 1870.

Speciiication of certain Improvements in Lamps, invented by BENNETT B. SCHNEIDER, of the city, county, and State of New York.

Nature and Objects of the Invent-ion.

A part of this invention relates particularly to lamps having a reservoir extending higher than the burner, and intended to supply oil to the burner at a constant level, or nearly so. In lamps of this class it has been found that unless some device is provided to cut off the supply of oil the changes in the temperature of the atmosphere, acting upon it or in the upper portion of the reservoir, are liable to produce an overllow of the oil when the lamp is not in use.

A device has already been devised to cut off the supply of oil from the reservoir, which, while workin g very well, nevertheless involves considerable expensefin the manufacture.

A portion of my present invention is designed to furnish a device at triing cost for cutting 0E the supply of oil from the reservoir when the lamp is not in use.

Another portion of my invention has relation to the burner; and one of its features consists in dispensing with the hollow tube which surrounds the shell outside of the wicktnbe in the construction of Argand burners, which is generally adopted in what is known as the students lamp,7 and also dispensing with the arms which unite said hollow tube first mentioned to the defiector, and instead thereof uniting the detlector direct-ly at .its top to the tube which immediately surrounds the wick, (and which is revolved for the purpose of raising and lowering the said wick) in such a manner that, when completed, this outside wicktuloe, the deilector, and the chimney-gallery form but a single piece, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In most lamps of this class the outside wicktube is made of t-in, with a slot in one side of it to receive the spur or projection from the wick-carrier, so as to cause the revolution of this outside wick-tube to revolve the wick-carrier and raise the wick or depress it, as occasion may require.

It is found by experience that the projection from the wick-carrier above mentioned, acting upon the thin edge of the tin of which the outside wick-tube is composed, has a tendency to indent it and cause the wick-elevating apparatus to work very unsatisfactorily.

Another feature of my invention consists in remed ying this difficulty by attaching to the edges which form the slot in this outside wicktube pieces of sheet metal, so folded over the said edges as to form the bearing for the projection from the wick-carrier, and thus protect the edges ofthe tube.

Another feature of my invention consists in forming a series of openings through the top of the deiiector, or the piece which unites it to the top of the outside wick-tube, immediately contiguous to 'the said wick-tube, in such a manner as to cause any outwardoverow of oil from the burner to flow down along the outside of the said wick-tube into the cup or tube or shell in which the wick-tube is placed.

Description of the Acconwanymg Drawings.

Figure l is a side view of the lamp complete, with shade and chimney, except that the chunney and the standard of the lamp are repre-l sented as being broken in two, to give them room on the page. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section in detail on a plane parallel to Fig. 1, showing the burner and the shell which contains the oil-reservoir. Fi g. 3 is an under-side view of the oil-reservoir, a small portion being broken away to show the inside plate, which forms a portion of the cut-ott', to arrest the discharge of oil from the reservoir. Fig. 4 is a top view of the burner. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the wick-tubes on the plane a.' :t of Figs. l and 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of the oil-reservoir. Fig. 7 is a side view of the outside wick-tube, the detlector being omitted.

General Description.

A is a case or cup, in which the oil-reservoir B is placed when in use. This case A is made in the common form of cylindrical cases in use in students7 lamps for the same purpose, and is united to the tube C in the same way, which latter conducts the oil from the cup A to the tube D, which surrounds the wick-tube.

The reservoir B is also made in -a manner well known, with the exception of the lower portion of it and the appliances for shutting off and lett-ing on the flow of oil from the reservoir to the burner. Instead, however, of

terminating with a tube and ball-valve worked by a stem, as in the old French lamps, this reservoir terminates at the bottom in a iiat disk of sheet metal having an aperture through it at a, to allow the oil to be introduced, and to also allow it to escape when desired.

Z and c are two disks or plates of sheet metal, one above and the other below the disk, which forms the bottom of the reservoir, which plates b and c are rmly united together by a center-pin at d, so that the rotation of one of them upon the said center shall also cause the rotation of the other. These plates b and c have holes in them corresponding in size and distance from the centerwith the hole at a in the bottom of the reservoir, and so arranged as when turned into a certain position to be coincident therewith, so as to make an opening into the bottom of the reservoir, to allow it to be iilled with oil, or to allow the oil to escape therefrom when the lamp is in use. If,

however, these plates b and c are turned around a sufficient distance to destroy the co incidence of their apertures with that in the bottom of the reservoir, the opening into the reservoir at a will be closed, so as to allow the reservoir to be inserted into its place in the cup A, and so as to prevent the oil from escaping from the reservoir when the lamp is not in use..

For the convenience of operating this device for cutting off the oil when the reservoir is in position, I attach to the plate c an arm, c, by which the plates b and c may be turned; and, if found desirable to give greater strength and security, an annular slot may be formed in the bottom of the reservoir, and the arm e made to extend through it to or through the plate b, and connect therewith. This arm c is of sufcient length to extend slightly beyond the periphery of the reservoir g and when the reservoir is put into place in the cup A the end of this arm should be inserted between the wires f f, which form between them a groove for its reception, and terminate in a notch at the bottom, as shown, which latter is designed to act as a check upon the users, to prevent their raising the reservoir out of the cup A before the oil has been turned oft'.

The object of the wiresf fis to furnish a ready means of turning the disks b and c whenthe reservoir is in position for use. Of course, when the reservoir is inserted into place these disks are so turned as to shut oii'the supply of oil but by turning the reservoir around to the right, or with the sun, after it has been inserted in the manner above stated, the arm c is first carried into the notch formed between the wires f f at the lower end, and, the rotation being continued, the aperture in the bottom of the reservoir is opened and the oil is allowed to iiow out to supply the burner, as the consulnption otl oil by the burner allows the air to enter the reservoir to take the place of the oil to be discharged from it.

"When the lamp is extinguished, the open ing in the bottom of the reservoir should be closed by turning the reservoir to the left, or against the sun, and the same should, of course, be done before the reservoir is removed to be lled, or for any other purpose.

g r/ are two stops or projections extending downward from the reservoir at its periphery, to restrict the motion of the arm e; and to open or close the aperture in the bottom of the reservoir the reservoir should be turned till the arm c strikes one of these stops.

For the purpose of preventing the arm c from being'pulled downward by an eort to raise the reservoir when the arm is in the notch between the wires f f, and thereby bending away the plate c from the bottom of the reservoir, I att-ach a bar, l, to the lower ends ofthe stops g g, just below the arm e, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Y

The outside tube or shell, D, which surrounds the wick-tube and its appurtenances, is constructed in the manner usual in this class of lamps, and is provided with the usual dripcup E and the inside spirally-grooved tube F, for elevating the wick, which latter is attached to the usual wick holder or carrier G.

H is the outside wick-tube, which is formed of sheet metal, with the slot in the side usual in this class of lamps, and is braced at intervals of its length by rings extending around it and soldered to it, the lower one, h, of which rings is provided with a tlange projecting out ward, so as to nearly lit the outside tube, D, and thus give greater steadiness to the tube H.

For the reasons already stated, I fold two strips of brass or other sheet metal, i t', over the edges of the wick-tube H, where it forms the slot to receive the usual projection from the wick-carrier, and secure these strips t' t in position by soldering them to the tube along their entire length.

The detlector I is made in about the usual general form of detlectors used in lamps of this class, and is provided with the usual Achimney-gallery J; but instead of being secured by arms to a separate short tube surrounding the tube D, and said short tube having inwardly and downwardly projecting lianges with the latter, connecting detachably to the Wick-tube H, said arms and said short tube and its ianges are entirely dispensed with, and the detlector or cone I is directly and permanently attached to the outside wicktube, H, near to its top, by an inwardly-projecting portion of the said deiiector, or by a flange or connecting-piece attached thereto.

In practice, probably the better construction will be found to be to contract the metal at the top of the delector, so as to make it tit snugly around the upper end ot' the tube H, and then solder it thereto. It is, however, necessary, or at least preferable, to form perforations jj in that portion of the metal which connects the deflector proper to the tube H, to allow the air to pass upward at that point from the inside of the detlector; and for the purpose already stated I form the metal in side of this row of holes with an inwardly and downwardly depression to the wick-tube H, and perforate it close to the Wick-tube H with small holes 7c k, which return any oil which may fall outside of the wick on the outside of the tube H, and by that means return it to the inside of the tube D.

Claims.

it for the ingress and egress of oil, one or both of the plates b and c, the arm e, and the cup A, having a groove formed Within it for the reception ofthe arm e, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the outside Wick-tube, H, the deiiector I, and the chimney-gallery J, all firmly united together, so as to form a single piece, substantially as set forth.

4. Constructing the plate'or sheet of metal which unites the detlector I to the tube H With a series of apertures in close contiguity with the tube H, as set forth.

5. The combination of the tube H and strips v of metal i z', substantially as set forth.

BENNETT B. SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

I. H. HOW, WM. T. FARNHAM. 

